Multi-positional foot for stud of cleanroom wall system

ABSTRACT

A multi-positional foot is carried on the bottom of a cleanroom wall stud and is readily adjustable in a vertical direction(relative to the length of the stud) for contact with the upper surface of an access floor panel and for movement away from the panel to provide clearance for removing the panel(s) that lies beneath the foot. Moreover, the foot is constructed with rotatably joined members that are sized to swing into and out of engagement with a floor panel for respectively anchoring, the stud and permitting removal of that panel. The rotational mounting of the members that make up the foot, including a slotted toe member, permits great flexibility for using the foot to anchor wall studs to any of a wide variety of floor panel configurations.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This invention relates to the configuration and assembly of components that make up a wall system that is particularly well adapted for cleanrooms, and particularly to a multi-positional foot that attaches to the vertical stud of such a system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Cleanrooms are commercial spaces that are constructed and maintained in a way that keeps the room flee of contaminants that might otherwise interfere with the precision work undertaken there. Cleanrooms are used, for example, in the production of certain electronics and computer components.

[0003] The components of a cleanroom wall system generally include studs to which wall panels are fastened. A framework of vertical studs and interconnected horizontal studs provides sufficient stability to the overall wall system. The wall panels may be arranged in a number of ways. For instance, the panel may be a relatively thick member (hereafter referred to as a “thick” panel) that matches the nominal wall thickness and that may exceed or equal the width of the studs to which it is fastened. Alternatively, a pair of thin, spaced apart panels (spaced to match the nominal wall thickness and referred to as a “double sided wall”) may be fastened to the studs.

[0004] In yet another arrangement, single, thin-wall panels are fastened to one side of the studs, and the opposite sides of the studs are exposed. In this “single-sided wall” arrangement, it is often necessary to provide the same nominal wall thickness as provided by the previously mentioned arrangements.

[0005] In recent years, the use of cleanrooms has increased dramatically. Moreover, existing cleanrooms often require rearrangement or remodeling to accommodate changes made in the production systems that are inside or adjacent to the cleanroom. Such construction and remodeling needs are best met with cleanroom wall system components that, as a result of their configuration, minimize the time and costs associated with construction and assembly of the wall system.

[0006] The floors of cleanrooms are often configured as “access floors,” which generally comprise an understructure of vertical pedestals and horizontal grids that support floor panels in a plane that is spaced from the floor slab. This space or chamber beneath the floor panels is available for piping, ventilation, electrical service, and other uses. The panels for cleanroom access floors are often perforated to facilitate laminar airflow from the ceiling to and through the perforated floor of the cleanroom.

[0007] The studs of a cleanroom system that has an access floor are anchored to the perforated floor panels. Inasmuch as the floor panels are generally intended to be readily removable from the support grid (to provide access to the underlying chamber), it is desirable to anchor the stud to the floor panel in a manner that facilitates quick and easy removal and replacement of such panels.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention is directed to a multi-positional foot that is carried on the bottom of a wall stud and that is readily adjustable in a vertical direction (relative to the length of the stud) for contact with the upper surface of an access floor panel and for movement away from the panel to provide clearance for removing the panel(s) that lie beneath the foot.

[0009] Moreover, the foot is constructed with rotatably joined members that are sized to swing into and out of engagement with a floor panel for respectively anchoring the stud and permitting removal of that panel once the foot is released. The rotational mounting of the members that make up the foot, including a slotted toe member, permits great flexibility for using the foot to anchor wall studs to any of a wide variety of floor panel configurations.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 is an end view of a stud component of a cleanroom wall system, which stud can accommodate a multi-positional foot formed in accordance with the present invention.

[0011]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a foot of the present invention mounted to a stud and resting on a perforated floor panel, ready for attachment.

[0012]FIG. 3 is another perspective view of a foot of the present invention mounted to a stud and resting on a perforated floor panel, ready for attachment.

[0013]FIG. 4 is an enlarged assembly view of the foot of the present invention illustrating the foot plate with apertures for rotatably supporting a generally circular heel plate and opposing toe plate.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0014] A preferred embodiment of the present invention is usable with a cleanroom wall stud 220, such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Specifically, a preferred embodiment of a stud 220 formed in accordance with the present invention is shown in a greatly enlarged end view in FIG. 1. The stud 220 is preferably extruded aluminum. The stud is rectangular in cross section and includes outer walls 222, 224, 226, 228 sized to define a wide side of the stud, as along wall 222, and a relatively narrow side as along wall 224.

[0015] Slots 234 extend along the length of the stud to interrupt each of the four outer walls of the stud. Just inside each slot 234, inner walls 236, 238, which are continuous with the outer walls, are shaped to define a chamber 240. The chambers 240 that are continuous with the slots 234 in the opposing wide-side walls 222, 226 taper toward the center of the stud. There, the inner walls 236, 238 define two parallel portions, the facing surfaces of which that are corrugated 242 to receive a threaded fastener, as explained more in U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,275, hereby incorporated by reference.

[0016] The inner walls 236, 238 are joined at the center of the stud by a web 237 that extends in a direction generally parallel with the wide sides of the stud. One of the inner walls 236 has a pair of extensions 244 that extend into the chamber 240 toward the outer wall 228. Those extensions have corrugated inner facing surfaces 242 like the surfaces just described. The chamber 240 associated with the other, narrow-side wall 224 does not include any corrugated surfaces.

[0017] With reference to FIGS. 2-4, the foot 20 of the present invention includes a thin, flat base plate 22. In a preferred embodiment, the base plate 22 is an aluminum member, generally oblong, and is about 5 inches (12.7 cm) long and 2.25 inches (5.72 cm) wide with its ends rounded in a 1.125-inch (2.86 cm) radius. The plate is less than about 0.125 inches (0.32 cm) thick.

[0018] At one end of the base plate 22 a circular aperture is formed for rotatably receiving a heel plate 24. The aperture for receiving the heel plate 24 is countersunk into the underside of the base plate 22 and the periphery of the heel plate 24 is shaped with a lip that conforms to the countersunk shape of that aperture. Thus, the flat surfaces (such as upper surface 28) of the heel plate 24 are flush (FIGS. 2 and 3) with corresponding surfaces (such as upper surface 26 of the base plate) and the heel plate is unable to move completely through the aperture.

[0019] A pair of spaced-apart, flat, elongated, parallel mounting flanges 30 are fastened at one end to the upper surface 28 of the heel plate 24. The flanges 30 extend upwardly, perpendicular to the heel surface 28, to protrude into the bottom of a stud 220 (FIG. 2). Specifically, each flange 30 fits into a corresponding one of the chambers 240 in the stud.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, a threaded fastener 32 is threaded across the two flanges 30 between the heel plate 24 and the bottom of the stud 220. The fastener 32 is tightened to squeeze together the flanges 30 by an amount sufficient to pinch the flanges against the stud 220 and secure the heel plate of the foot 20 to the stud. It is noteworthy here that the load carried by the stud (that is, the wall panels etc.) is generally transferred to the ceiling grid of the cleanroom, and the bottom of the stud presents very slight bearing load to the floor panel to which it is ultimately anchored.

[0021] It will be appreciated that with the heel plate 24 fastened to the stud as just described, the base plate 22 is free to rotate about the heel plate 24 generally in the direction shown by arrow 37 (FIG. 3). This enables the slotted, circular toe plate 34 to be located over at least one of the many perforations 36 of a perforated floor panel 38 for fastening that toe plate 34 (hence, the foot 20) to the floor panel 38, as described more next.

[0022] The circular toe plate 34 of the foot is rotatably mounted in a correspondingly shaped aperture in the base plate 22. As best seen in FIG. 4, the aperture that receives the toe plate 34 is countersunk in the upper surface 26 of the base plate 22 to define a shoulder 35. The periphery of the toe plate 34 is shaped to conform to the countersunk shape of that aperture. Thus, the flat surfaces (such as upper surface 40) of the toe plate 34 are flush with corresponding surfaces (such as upper surface 26 of the base plate) and the toe plate is unable to move completely through the aperture.

[0023] The toe plate 34 includes an elongated oblong slot 42 that has a width that is about as large as the diameter of the perforations 36 in the floor panel 38. It will be appreciated that as a result of the rotatability of both the base plate 22 (about the heel plate 24) and the toe plate 34 (within the base plate aperture), the slot 42 in the toe plate 34 will sweep a relatively large area of the perforated floor panel(s) adjacent to the stud 220 thereby enabling the slot to align with at least one of those perforations. So aligned (as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3), a fastener (shown in dashed lines) may be used to secure the toe plate 34 (hence, the foot 20) against the floor panel, thereby anchoring, with the heel plate 24, the stud to the floor panel 38.

[0024] It is important to note that when the toe plate 34 is disconnected from the floor panel 38, the base plate 22 can be rotated about the heel plate 24 as well as lifted away from the heel plate to be flipped out of its generally horizontal orientation. This release of the base plate to move in at least two orthogonal directions provides substantial clearance for movement of a floor panel past the bottom of the stud 220. 

1. A multi-positional foot assembly for a stud, comprising: a heel plate that is attachable to the stud; a base plate rotatably mounted to the heel plate; and a toe plate rotatably mounted to the base plate and having an opening therein.
 2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the heel plate is attached to the stud by flanges that extend from the heel plate to slidably engage the stud.
 3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the flanges comprise a pair of flanges, and the assembly includes means for tightening and loosening the flanges against the stud.
 4. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the flanges are arranged to fit inside of the stud.
 5. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the base plate is configured to be selectively movable away from the heel plate and along the flanges but irremovable from the assembly when the flanges engage the stud.
 6. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the heel plate fits into a first aperture in the base plate thereby to provide the rotatable mounting of the base plate to the heel plate, the heel plate and base plate being configured so that the heel plate is unable to fit completely through the first aperture.
 7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein the base plate is an oblong member having opposing ends, and wherein the first aperture is formed in one end of the base plate.
 8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the first aperture is a circular shape and countersunk in an underside of the base plate and wherein the heel plate is circular and has a periphery that conforms to the shape of the first aperture.
 9. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the toe plate fits into a second aperture in the base plate thereby to provide the rotatable mounting of the toe plate to the base plate, the toe plate and base plate being configured so that the toe plate is unable to fit completely through the second aperture.
 10. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the base plate is an oblong member having opposing ends, and wherein the second aperture is formed in one end of the base plate.
 11. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the second aperture is a circular shape and countersunk in an upper surface of the of the base plate and wherein the toe plate is circular and has a periphery that conforms to the shape of the second aperture.
 12. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the heel plate, base plate, and toe plate are thin rigid plates having a common flat surface for engaging a floor panel when those plates are assembled together.
 13. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the heel plate is attached to the stud by flanges that extend from the heel plate to slidably engage the stud, the flanges being substantially perpendicular to the common flat surface.
 14. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the assembly is usable for connecting a stud to a floor panel that is perforated with holes having a perforations diameter, the opening in the heel plate being an elongated slot that is sized to have a width substantially matching the perforations diameter.
 15. A method of connecting a vertical stud to a floor panel, comprising the steps of: rotatably mounting a first plate to a second plate that has flanges extending therefrom; sliding into the flanges into an end of the stud; fastening the flanges to the stud so that the first plate is on the floor panel; and connecting the first plate to the floor panel at any preferred rotational position of the first plate relative to the second plate.
 16. The method of claim 15 including the step of providing in the first plate a slot for facilitating the connection of the first plate and the floor panel.
 17. The method of claim 16 wherein the providing step includes rotatably mounting in the first plate a circular plate that has a slot therein.
 18. A method of making an adjustable foot assembly for securing a stud to a floor panel, comprising the steps of: connecting a pair of flanges to a flat surface of a circular heel plate; rotatably mounting one end of an elongated, flat base plate to the heel plate; forming an aperture in another end of the base plate; and rotatably mounting in the aperture a flat toe plate having an opening therethrough, the heel plate, base plate, and toe plate having an underside in a common plane.
 19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of rotatably mounting the one end of the base plate includes forming a countersunk aperture in the base plate and shaping the periphery of the heel plate to conform to the countersunk aperture and so that the heel plate cannot pass through the countersunk aperture.
 20. The method of claim 18 including the step of shaping the opening in the toe plate to be an elongated slot. 